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Bryggen

The old Hanseatic wharf of Bergen - a row of leaning, colourful wooden trading houses on the harbour, a UNESCO symbol of Norway.

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Illustrative image - a scene in the spirit of the place, not a photograph of it. Real photos are below.

UNESCO World Heritage

Typeold town

WhereVestland

Nearest cityBergen

Best seasonMay to September; year-round

Time to allowOne to two hours

Getting thereOn the harbour in central Bergen, walkable from everywhere

EntryFree to walk; Hanseatic museum charges

Real photos (1)

Bryggen is the old Hanseatic quarter of Bergen, a row of tall, narrow wooden trading houses leaning companionably along the harbour, their pointed gables painted ochre, red and cream. Once the heart of the German merchants' cod trade, rebuilt many times after fires, it is a UNESCO site and the enduring image of the city.

What you actually see

The wooden facades - the leaning, colourful gabled trading houses along the wharf.
The alleys behind - the creaking wooden passages and courtyards between the houses.
The Hanseatic museum - the merchant life of the old cod trade.
The harbour setting - the wharf, the fish market and the mountains behind.

When to go

Summer for terraces, light and the busy harbour; the quarter is atmospheric year-round, glowing under lamps in the winter dark. Early morning gives the alleys to yourself.

Honest expectations

The famous facades are much reconstructed after repeated fires, so it is heritage carefully kept rather than untouched. It is small and quickly walked, and the harbour front is on the tourist trail. The atmospheric heart is in the wooden alleys behind, so step off the front.